The Playmaker
by JackieStarSister
Summary: A canon-compliant character study of Kelsi Nielson, showing her perspective before and during the events of the three movies.


**Author's Note:** I wrote most of this a few years ago as a character study for Kelsi. She has always been a favorite of mine because I identify with her personality and development. But when I came across this in my files, I realized I identify with her even more now, having experienced similar encouragement from friends in musical settings. So I dedicate this piece to two musical groups of which I have been a member: the erstwhile StarSingers & Company, and Still Small Theatre. I might go back and expand this, or subdivide it into chapters. Your reviews will help me decide.

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"The Playmaker"

When Kelsi started high school, she told herself that she was going to change. She wouldn't be the clichéd shy or invisible girl. By the time she graduated,she would be a Renaissance woman, with good grades, athletic skills, musical talent, and worthwhile friends.

While she adjusted to the new environment and classes, she observed the social climate and kept her eyes open for clubs and activities that might be good for her.

She admired the cheerleaders when she saw them perform. She almost envied their total trust and dependence, when they held each other in the air. But she knew she wouldn't fit into their clique, and truthfully, she didn't really want to.

She tried joining the track and field team, but found herself lagging at the end of each run. She might have stuck with it if she had really enjoyed it, but it limited her free time so much that she started to fall behind on writing music, the activity that really made her happy. It was a hobby now, but if she put as much effort into it as other kids put into sports, she could make something real out of it.

Kelsi was one of many freshmen who lined up to be in the musical. Ms. Darbus scared away a good number of them by informing them that every year, many students who auditioned dropped the musical when they found out the amount of work it took, or realized that they weren't meant for music. Kelsi almost decided to follow the kids who walked out; but music was something she knew herself to be good at, and wanted to be involved with no matter what.

Ms. Darbus observed that had a decent voice, but she couldn't project it very well. She paled in comparison to Sharpay Evans, who could sing, dance, _and_ act. It was no wonder that she was cast in the lead role, as she had for over a dozen other school productions.

Kelsi was relegated to the chorus, but she showed her dedication by going to every set-building session and helping the crew make props and costumes. Gradually Ms. Darbus noticed her continued presence in the music department. She recognized Kelsi when she took music theory, and noticed her working on her own compositions after she completed her in-class assignments. That was why Ms. Darbus was already warmed up when Kelsi asked her about the process of choosing the school musical, and whether it would be possible for a student to submit a play to produce. Ms. Darbus agreed to consider one of her work-in-progress musicals, probably when she became an upperclassman.

That hope made Kelsi throw herself into her work even more than before. She wrote _Twinkle Town_ for school credit, and took every bit of feedback from Ms. Darbus to heart as she revised her drafts.

She found a safe little niche in the Drama Club. There, people accepted her. Or at least tolerated her. At any rate, they did not shun or scorn her.

Kelsi accepted that she would never be as popular or naturally charismatic as the Evans twins, who soon became co-presidents of the Drama Club. Sharpay was loud, proud, and dramatic; Kelsi was quiet, reflective, and a bit sentimental. Ryan was not as ostentatious or obnoxious as Sharpay, but she allowed him to share the spotlight—either because he was her brother, or because it kept others away from the spotlight.

In their junior year, Kelsi had a chance to have her work recognized: Ms. Darbus wanted to produce _Twinkle Town_ for the winter musical.

She tried to stay optimistic through the auditions, even as she watched one after another ensemble member trip over her song. She held out hope that the Evans would do better at singing it together.

It was the first time she was ever disappointed by the Evans twins' performance.

The problem wasn't that they had trouble getting into the spirit. The problem was that they were _too_ into it. Of course it was important to have fun, but they were having too much fun with this song, which was actually supposed to be slower and more emotional in its chemistry, more sweet and serious than perky and lighthearted.

Kelsi decided to approach Sharpay when they had finished the song, just to let her know her vision for it. That was a mistake. For the first time, Sharpay directed her intimidating force on Kelsi, making it clear that her role as composer did not make her equal with the show's star performers.

As she gathered up her sheet music, she tried to resign herself to the situation. Even if it was not produced the way she had envisioned, this would still be a step toward getting her name out as a composer. It would look good on her college applications and, eventually, her résumé. And it was a way to stay involved with the drama club, without having to suffer through strenuous dance routines.

She was reminded of her clumsiness when she tripped and dropped all her papers. She would have felt embarrassed anyway, but she felt doubly so when she recognized the boy who came to help her gather them: Troy Bolton, the gym coach's son, the most popular player on East High's most popular sports team. The girl with Troy was unfamiliar and stayed quiet as she helped, but Troy tried to chat with Kelsi. She could only nod mutely in answer to his questions, all the while wondering, _Why is Troy Bolton talking to me?_ Kelsi had seen him laughing with his ebullient jock friends, rowdy and prideful and excited; but here, in the auditorium, he spoke softly and politely to Kelsi. He complimented her and her role in making the show. "It is your show, isn't it?"

"It is?" It felt more like she had handed it off to Ms. Darbus and the Evans twins.

"You know, the one who makes everyone look good. I mean, without you, there's no show. You're the playmaker here, Kelsi."

He may have had a point. It just wasn't in Kelsi's nature to be possessive of her work; it was art, which was something that was supposed to be shared.

She found herself asking, "Do you want to hear how the duet was supposed to sound?" She took her music back to the piano and played the song slowly, carefully, not wanting to make a mistake in front of them. Apparently they had been around during the singles auditions, because they began to sing the lyrics—the way they were supposed to be: soft and sweet and sincere. Their voices harmonized and blended beautifully.

Ms. Darbus' sudden reappearance and announcement of callbacks topped off the miracle. Kelsi was thrilled, her hope renewed by the possibility of working with these two. They may not have had any experience with musical theatre, but somehow they understood what she was looking for better than the seasoned Evans twins.

It was not until the next day that Kelsi realized the risk that all three of them were taking by competing against Sharpay. Thankfully, Sharpay did not think to direct her fury at Kelsi, who discretely decided to hide the fact that she was working with Troy and Gabriella to prepare them for the callback. Despite their peers' initial reactions—shock, bewilderment, indignation, and in some cases sudden confidence in confessing long-hidden hobbies—the two decided to go through with it, come what may.

As they got to know each other during one-on-one rehearsals, Kelsi saw some of herself in the new girl. Gabriella was shy, trying to figure out how the school worked, where she fit in, what she was good at, and what she wanted to do. Kelsi was going through the same process.

She loved rehearsing with them during free period, and meeting up to help with costumes and sets, as all participants in the musical production were required to do. Gabriella and Troy reminded her to have fun while still feeling the passion of her music, and enabled her to feel a sense of pride in it.

But as suddenly as their fun and fellowship began, it seemed to end without explanation. Gabriella missed her rehearsal, and then texted saying that she would not be auditioning after all. Troy was just as bewildered as Kelsi, and it took him a few days for him to find out why. Kelsi was too busy preparing all the materials for the musical to take much notice about the details. When Troy brought Gabriella back, she waved off their apologies, simply satisfied that they were ready and willing to go forward.

Then the Evans twins struck. Kelsi was still quiet and unobtrusive—or else was still considered unimportant—enough that they and Ms. Darbus did not notice her when they negotiated rescheduling the callbacks. It was the most disheartening and frustrating obstacle yet.

On the morning the schedule was reposted, Kelsi planted herself in front of the bulletin boards to wait for Troy and Gabriella to see it. Not only they but all of their friends—athletes and brainiacs alike—were upset and immediately suspicious. Kelsi set them straight about who to blame: Ms. Darbus was not the villain, she was merely a pawn in Sharpay and Ryan's game. Kelsi half expected Troy and Gabriella to give up on auditioning. She would have respected them for it, since they were already committed to competing in their respective championships, whereas the musical was an entirely new commitment. For a moment, Chad's indignation made it seemed like a war between clique leaders might break out. But Troy thought it might be possible for him and Gabriella to fulfill their commitments to the basketball team and Scholastic Decathlon team, and still make it to the callbacks.

Kelsi's only regret was that she would not be able to be present at her friends' competitions. She would have liked to support them. She hoped their anxiety over the auditions would affect their other activities at these pivotal moments.

She had to sit quietly while the Evans twins butchered another of her songs. It actually was pretty vivacious, which was fine, but it was not how Kelsi had wanted it. Everything they did was over the top, with too much spectacle distracting from the substance.

The window of opportunity came down to Ms. Darbus' patience, or lack thereof. Troy and Gabriella were not present when she called their names. Kelsi tried to advocate for them, but Ms. Darbus cut her off. Kelsi felt ready to cry, and ran off to the hallways so Sharpay would not see.

The waves of students pouring into the auditorium tipped her off. The diversions at the basketball game and Scholastic Decathlon must have worked. Now it seemed like the entire student body was coming to the audition. Would that be enough to change Ms. Darbus' mind?

Kelsi rushed back, and found Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, and Ms. Darbus all on the stage. Troy had just offered to sing without a pianist. "Oh no you won't," Kelsi said breathlessly. "Pianist here, Ms. Darbus.

Sharpay fixed a glare upon her. "You really don't want to do that," she warned.

"Oh yes," Kelsi returned, her voice even. "I really do." With that she turned and went back to the piano.

Then, it seemed Gabriella was unable to sing in front of the crowd that had assembled in the auditorium. After all she had done to encourage Kelsi, could she still lack confidence in herself? Kelsi stopped playing and watched Troy talk quietly to Gabriella, apparently convincing her to stay and try again. Then he gestured for Kelsi to begin again. She was gentle at first, guiding them in, helping them get comfortable; then the crescendo gave them a burst of energy, and their inhibitions seemed to vanish.

Kelsi had written "Breaking Free" many months before, but after meeting Troy and Gabriella she had tweaked it slightly to better suit their voices. Somehow they made the message come alive. They embodied it. For Kelsi, it was magical.

When they were done singing, they gestured for Kelsi to bow. She did so graciously, proud of both her music and her friends.

Since the Wildcats had to finish their championship game, Kelsi was able to watch after all, and celebrate with them in the post-game chaos. Troy and his teammates found her and gave her a basketball of her own, acknowledging her once again as the "playmaker."

Things were different after that. The boundaries between cliques dissolved, and students felt comfortable enough to try new activities. After the casting was settled, they had a fantastic time putting on _Twinkle Town_ , with comparatively little behind-the-scenes drama. Ms. Darbus declared it the best-selling musical East High had put on in her time, as a result of all the athletic teams, brainiacs, and other friends and admirers who came to support the drama department and its newest members.

In this season of inspiration and gratitude, Kelsi wrote "You Are the Music in Me" as a tribute to Troy and Gabriella. She gave it to them to sing, because it was about them; but she had actually written it thinking that she was the one saying the words to them. They were the ones who had encouraged her music, and now she was doing the same for them.

When Sharpay demanded the song, Kelsi tried to explain that she had written it for two specific singers; but she handed it over, because Sharpay was the management's daughter, and Kelsi was still just an employee, "not a fairy godmother." The bigger surprise was that Sharpay would be singing it with Troy, rather than her go-to partner Ryan. Naturally, Ryan was dismayed at being left out. Kelsi realized that she and Ryan had something in common: they were both talented but undervalued musicians. When it came to Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan were both bewildered and intimidated when she was angry, and annoyed when she slighted or dismissed them.

Kelsi was one of the few who did not feel angry with Troy. For one thing, she had been offered a job at Lava Springs before he got the rest of the Wildcats there. For another, she understood what he was going through with Sharpay, the talent show, and the University of Albuquerque scouts. She knew how Sharpay baited people with the possibility of advancing their dreams, and then manipulated the people in power to eliminate competition.

She wrote "Everyday" as a way of working through her emotions about the future and what it would mean for her new friendships. When Gabriella suggested that the Wildcats go ahead and participate in the talent show without Troy, Kelsi finished the song and taught it to them, while Ryan worked out blocking and choreography that allowed room for all the East High School students at Lava Springs. It seemed like they were both playmakers now.

When Fulton sent out the announcement that employees would not be able to participate, Kelsi immediately knew whose idea it had been, but she was not sure what it meant for her personally. Her job was to play music, and Sharpay was planning to sing _her_ song. Kelsi thought of threatening to back out unless the Wildcats were allowed to perform, but she figured Sharpay would just find another pianist.

Since Kelsi knew Troy to be out of the loop of communication, she silently passed him a copy of Fulton's announcement to let him know why everyone else was so down.

She was on her way to talk to Fulton about whether she would be expected to provide accompaniment during the show, when she heard Sharpay's infamous scream. Kelsi followed the sound, and found Sharpay arguing with Troy, sounding panicked and desperate in a way Kelsi had never heard her before. And Troy—Kelsi had never heard him sound so stern and steadfast. He faced Sharpay head-on and insisted that helping his friends was more important than helping himself.

Kelsi simply had to tell the Wildcats. It was not gossiping, she reasoned, because what she had overheard actually concerned them. They needed to know what Troy was doing for them.

When she heard Troy agree to sing with Sharpay, it gave her an idea—a crazy, romantic, _perfect_ idea—one worthy of a fairy godmother. If it succeeded, everything could be fixed—their friendships, Troy's future, and even his relationship with Gabriella.

Taylor called Gabriella, filled her in on what had happened, and told her what to do. She already knew the song from their rehearsals; only Troy needed to learn it. Kelsi knew from experience that he could learn it quickly, even in the five minutes before they went onstage. And Gabriella would be there to save him if he missed a lyric.

Troy and Sharpay figured out they had been duped just moments before Troy had to go onstage. By then it was too late. Kelsi began to play, and Troy sang the lyrics he had forced himself to learn—and Gabriella's voice responded over the loudspeakers. Someone had gotten her a microphone in time. Watching her walk through the tables to meet Troy on the stage was one of the most beautiful things Kelsi had ever seen. Then, a miracle happened: Sharpay awarded the trophy to Ryan. Kelsi knew exactly how he must be feeling, after having been the support of his sister for so long, to finally be recognized as an individual for his talent and effort.

Senior year promised to be the best school year yet. Junior year had been Kelsi's year to grow and change; now she felt like she had a secure place in the school, a place that she enjoyed and felt important in.

Troy, Gabriella, and Ryan were her closest friends; but now she also knew, and was known by, every member of the basketball team, the Scholastic Decathlon team, and the music and drama departments.

The possibility of Sharpay turning the musical into a one-woman show, taking away the chance to put on a production _together_ , drove Kelsi to a somewhat desperate act: she put all of her classmates' names on the sign-up sheet.

Maybe it was a little bit selfish, but she wanted to enjoy this last chance to make music with all of her friends. She had so _many_ friends now, and only one semester left to work and play with them. She wanted them all to experience the joy of putting on a show, since it might be the last chance for many of them to do so. In college everyone would specialize and pursue the interests that they wanted to turn into careers. They might not have the time or opportunities to be in another musical.

Plus, the only way to create a devising about the East High School seniors, as she had proposed to Ms. Darbus, would be to include as many of them as possible.

The fact that Julliard representatives would be considering four of them for scholarships unnerved Kelsi as much as it excited her. She hoped it would not turn into another competition, when all she wanted was to have fun with friends and make excellent art. Thankfully, it did not form any rifts, at least none that she noticed. Getting to work with Ryan one-on-one and as an equal was a great pleasure. Kelsi now considered him a true friend, not a rival or merely Sharpay's sidekick. They respected and complemented each other's talents.

That was why the only thing better than getting the Julliard scholarship herself was hearing that one was being extended to Ryan as well. She would have one friend with her to Julliard; and now she was confident in her ability to make more friends through music.


End file.
